Transcript Diversity in Education

Diversity in Education
A quick overview of Howard Gardner’s
theory of multiple intelligences and its
implications for effective learning and
teaching at tertiary level
What makes for intelligence?
According to Gardner, any ‘intelligence’ has to
meet three pre-requisites, being
– the ability to resolve genuine problems
– the ability to create an effective product
– the potential for finding or creating problems
Eight different intelligences
A short history of intelligence
Pre 20th Century
– Imprecise – quick, eloquent, scientifically astute or
wise
Scientific turn
– Alfred Binet’s intelligence test based on a
heterogeneous set of items (sensory discrimination,
logico-mathematical to vocabulary knowledge).
– Used widely after modification (Stanford-Binet)
Allocated one value to intelligence in form of IQ
(Gardner (1983) Frames of Mind. NY: Basic Books)
A short history of intelligence
Pluralisation of intelligence
– Intelligence not one overarching thing but a set of
independent factors (L.L. Thurstone, J.P. Guilford)
Contextualisation
– Intelligence cannot be conceptualised or measured with
accuracy, independently of the contexts in which the
individual lives, works, plays and the opportunities and values
provided by that milieu. Intelligence an interaction between
biological proclivities and opportunities for learning in a
particular cultural context
(Gardner (1983) Frames of Mind. NY: Basic Books)
A short history of intelligence
Intelligence as distributed
– Not all Intelligence is in the head or general context in which
a person lives but also in the human and non-human
resources with which individuals work and on which they
come to depend in their productive work
– Nonhuman artifacts
• Books and other resources, computers and other tools
– Other individuals
• Teamwork, collaboration, mentors, co-learners
(Gardner (1983) Frames of Mind. NY: Basic Books)
Intelligence types
Logico-mathematical students
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Think in numbers, patterns and algorithms
Think clearly and analytically
Learn by appeal to logic
Use abstract symbols
Solve logic problems easily
Good at maths
Kagan cooperative learning, 1997
Intelligence types
Word smart students
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Learn through reading, writing, discussing
Communicate effectively
Have a good vocabulary
Write clearly
(logical development of argument)
– Spell easily
– Think in words
Kagan cooperative learning, 1997
Intelligence types
Art/Space smart students
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Think in pictures and images
Good at spatial relations
Have a good eye for detail and colour
“see” solutions to problems
Learn through visuals
Like to draw and create
Kagan cooperative learning, 1997
A spatial intelligence approach
Intelligence types
Music smart students
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Have a good sense of rhythm and melody
Like to sing, hum, chant, rap
Enjoy listening to music
Read and write music
Learn through music and lyrics
Enjoy creating music
Kagan cooperative learning, 1997
Intelligence types
Body smart students
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Are highly coordinated
Use gestures and body language
Take things apart and fix them
Learn through ‘hands on’ activities
Enjoy acting and role-playing
Enjoy dancing and athletics
Kagan cooperative learning, 1997
Intelligence Types
Nature smart students
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Are aware of their natural surroundings
Discriminate different flora and fauna
Are good at sorting and classifying
Have keen observational skills
Understand natural phenomena
Garden or care for pets or animals
Kagan cooperative learning, 1997
Intelligence types
People smart students
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Make and maintain friends easily
Understand and respect others
Lead and organise others
Resolve conflicts
Learn by interacting with others
Like to work and be with others
Kagan cooperative learning, 1997
Intelligence types
Self-smart pupils
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Need time to process information
Think about their own thinking (metacognitists)
Have strong opinions and beliefs
Are introspective
Know themselves well
Like quiet time alone
Kagan cooperative learning, 1997
Multiple Intelligence in a nutshell
Intelligence is not fixed
– We are not stuck with the intelligence we are born
with and have the capacity to develop our intellectual
capacity
Intelligence is not unitary
– There are many ways of being smart. Not one
intelligence, but multiple intelligences. Everyone has
each intelligence and a unique pattern of
intelligences
Kagan cooperative learning, 1997
Teaching with intelligence
Just as we are smart in different ways, we learn
in different ways
– Teachers need to extend their teaching repertoires to
encompass all the intelligences
• to make courses fully accessible to all
• to provide each student with an opportunity to excel
• To provide students with a chance to develop all
intelligences
Kagan cooperative learning, 1997
Developing the intelligence
Broaden the curriculum to develop all
intelligences
– We live in a diverse, shrinking world
– We enjoy and value capabilities and products of
different intelligences
– Why then do we concentrate on a narrow range of
intelligences in our schools???
Kagan cooperative learning, 1997
Celebrating uniqueness and diversity
By teaching students about their uniqueness and
valuing their diverse intelligences we validate all
students and provide them with the important
sense of self-worth and a respect for the
uniqueness of others
Kagan cooperative learning, 1997
The future of intelligence
Nurturance of Intelligence
– Can we nurture intelligence with particular
educational settings, using strategic pedagogical or
facilitatory techniques?
Humanising Intelligence
– Use intelligence in morally responsible ways
– Perhaps more important than Intelligence is
motivation, personality, emotions, the will
(Gardner (1983) Frames of Mind. NY: Basic Books)
Some observations by Gardner
MI cannot be fully understood or implemented fully
Takes time to absorb full implications, more radical than
most think
Not an end in itself – requires a context: MI for what?
Ask whether, and how, MI can enable me to teach for
understanding, master core knowledge, develop each
persons potentiall fully
MI can only be a partner – cannot do the job itself
Multiple intelligence as a partner in school improvement. EL, Sept 97: 20-21
Change and intelligence
Our scientific understanding of Intelligence is
changing, improving
Each person is different, each has a distinct
(changing?) profile of intelligences
Versatile technologies should make it easier to
personalise education
MI fits comfortably with an open approach to
education, involving constant change, renewal
Multiple intelligence as a partner in school improvement. EL, Sept 97: 20-21
The Challenge of MI Theory
How can we provide an environment where we cater for
the multiplicity of intelligences that exist in our classes?
– Vary approaches (lecture, workshop, group activities,
independent work..), allow students to choose how they
would like to present their work (essay, project, website,
report, portfolio, journal..), allow students to choose how they
would like to be assessed (criterion based assessment,
social skills, contribution to class discussion, marks)
Negotiated curriculum?
– What would you like to learn this year? How would you like to
look at it?